In a fiercely contested race that captivated the hearts and minds of Edo Circumstance citizens, the governorship election held ultimate Saturday has drawn the curtains on an intense political fight.
With effects introduced on Sunday by way of the Returning Officer for the election and the Vice Chancellor of the Federal College of Generation, Minna, Prof. Faruq Adamu Kuta, the management ground within the South-South climate is ready to shift dramatically, with dramas and defections prone to occur.
Consistent with the Detached Nationwide Electoral Fee, there are 2,629,025 registered electorate and four,519 polling devices in Edo Circumstance. Of this determine, 2,249,780 (85.57%) have Everlasting Electorate’ Playing cards.
As winners praise their hard-fought victories, some ordinary faces grapple with defeat, departure the political enviornment humming with implications for the moment.
On this piece, PUNCH On-line dissects the winners and losers of the keenly-contested election, revealing the tales in the back of the ballots that can surrounding the moment of Edo Circumstance for the after 4 years.
Winners
1. Monday Okpebholo
Following his declaration by way of the electoral company because the winner of the Edo governorship election, Senator Monday Okpebholo has emerged as essentially the most clear winner.
The Governor-elect solidifies his place as a emerging big name in Edo Circumstance politics, propelling him from relative obscurity to a commanding position in governance. Okpebholo’s marketing campaign emphasized infrastructure building and financial revitalisation.
Okpebholo’s luck is a non-public triumph and a sign of the citizens’s want to shift management dynamics. The previous Edo Central Senator will manage the Middle Beat of the Society for 4 years, with citizens anticipating excellent governance.
2. Dennis Idahosa
Every other winner within the just-concluded ballot is the working mate of Senator Okpebholo and a former member representing the Ovia Federal Constituency within the Area of Representatives, Dennis Idahosa. Right through the marketing campaign, Idahosa, who’s now the deputy governor-elect, claimed that as a person, he had performed extra for the Edo family than Governor Godwin Obaseki.
3. Adams Oshiomhole
Former Edo climate governor and the lawmaker representing Edo North Senatorial District on the Nationwide Meeting, Adams Oshiomhole, is a big winner of the election.
The previous president of the APC and the Nationwide Labour Congress as soon as once more demonstrated his enduring political prowess within the South-South climate. Upcoming being sidelined for a year within the climate, Oshiomhole bounced again as an impressive political pressure.
Oshiomhole’s efforts in supporting key applicants on this election have solidified his status inside the birthday party, restoring his affect in Edo politics.
4. Philip Shaibu
The Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, certainly emerged as one of the vital largest election winners.
Shaibu confronted demanding situations sooner than the Edo Area of Meeting impeached him. He was once additionally i’m busy in lots of disputes with Governor Godwin Obaseki eminent as much as the election. Alternatively, his political manoeuvres and sagacity allowed him to conserve his affect.
His defection from the Peoples Democratic Celebration to the APC has been tipped as one of the vital strikes that solidified the birthday party’s victory within the just-concluded election. Shaibu’s skill to steadiness constancy to his birthday party year managing inside disputes has situated him favourably for moment political roles inside the climate.
5. The APC
Okpebholo’s victory may be important for the APC, cementing the birthday party’s affect within the climate. In spite of inside sections inside the birthday party, the APC controlled to unify in the back of Okpebholo, presenting an impressive problem to the opposition.
The previous win reinforces the APC’s accumulation within the patch, giving the birthday party momentum heading into moment climate and nationwide elections.
Losers
1. Asue Ighodalo
Ighodalo, a former Chairman of Sterling Storage and the PDP governorship candidate within the Edo election, confronted a big political fritter right through the ballot, which made him the lead loser of the election.
In spite of his background and affect in industry circles, Ighodalo didn’t hold the essential backing and alliances had to raise his political status in Edo Circumstance.
His loss underscores the complexities of transitioning from industry to politics, in particular within the cutthroat circumstance of Edo’s elections. The failure of Obaseki to determine his variations with main political actors within the climate contributed to Ighodalo’s defeat.
2. Osarodion Ogie
Ogie, the previous Secretary to the Circumstance Govt and working mate to Ighodalo, was once one of the vital losers of the election. The previous SSG, who’s a grassroots mobiliser and an skilled flesh presser, failed in order his a number of years of revel in in politics to endure within the ballot.
3. Godwin Obaseki
Obaseki, the outgoing governor and a important determine inside the PDP, emerges as a noteceable loser. His incapability to hold a victory for his birthday party casts indecision on his political affect and legacy within the climate. As a two-term governor, Obaseki had was hoping to put himself as a kingmaker, however this election has proven that his endorsement was once now not plenty to sway the citizens.
4. PDP
The PDP, traditionally a dominant pressure in Edo Circumstance, has suffered a vital loss. This defeat may just sign inside demanding situations inside the birthday party, in particular regarding its skill to tied with electorate and provide a cohesive technique. The loss has additionally raised questions in regards to the PDP’s management and relevance within the climate’s evolving political ground.
A number of high-profile defectors from the APC to the PDP, hoping to trip the tide of alternate, additionally suffered a loss. Their choice to change allegiances was once now not rewarded on the poll field, and lots of now in finding themselves politically sidelined.
5. Olumide Akpata
Every other loser of the election was once the governorship candidate of the Labour Celebration and the previous President of the Nigeria Bar Affiliation, Olumide Akpata. He got here a isolated 3rd within the election with 22, 763 votes, year APC’s Monday Okpebholo completed first with 291,667. Asue Ighodalo of the APC was once 2d with 247, 274 votes.